w waterman



UNITED sNTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

`S. WATERMAN, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, AND I. D. RUSSELL, OF NEI/V`YORK, N. Y.

SHIPS BLOCK.`

Specification of Letters Patent No. 3,421, dated January 31, 1844.

To all whom, t may concern: n

Be it known that we, STEPHEN IVATER- MAN, of Grreenwich1 in the countyof Fairfield and State of Connecticut, and Isaac D. RUSSELL,` of thecity, county, and State` of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Ships` Blocks; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specifi-` cation,in which-4 Figure l is ablock complete; Fig. 2, parts detached; Fig. 3,a double block.

The letters are to` designate the same parts in all the figures.

The nature of our invention consists in putting the iron strap throughon the inside of the block on each side of the sheave and brings thebearing of the sheave close to the strap by means of which a smaller pincan be used and much friction avoided.

The construction [is as follows: The shells (a) of the block are of anysuitable `form now in common use, the inner faces of them having agroove (b) cut in them running their whole length through the center,ldeep enough to receive the straps their whole thickness. The strap (o)`is formed ofa flat barof `iron bent intoa loop at the center in formlike a letter U, the` two ends running straight and parallel. The curvedpart is rounded in its cross section to serve as a loop to the block.Through the center of the length of each of the straight sides of thestrap a hole is made, and when the shells are put together and bolted ateach end a suflicient distance apart to admit the sheave the strap ispassed down the grooves above described; a hole is made through theshell at the center which corresponds with` l those through the strap;the sheave (c) through the end of the block opposite the loop and a pin(f) passes through it for a becket, but in small blocks this is notdone, and the strap will only reach far as the center for the pin topass through.

In double blocks we employ two sets of straps, one inside the other; theloop of the inner one, cominnr up under the outside one. This is shownin Fig. 3. In treble or quadruple blocks, three or four straps arecombined in a similar way. Blocks made in this way are strong andproduce lessfrictio-n than any others now in use, and by presenting asmooth shell outside, prevent the usual chalingof the rigging occasionedby straps or ropes projecting from them outside; the block is also freedfrom the danger of splitting since the pin through the sheave does notbear upon the wood at all, and no strain comes upon the sheave.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isp Constructing the blocks in the manner described with `the strapspassing down through the shell on the inside close to the sheaves in themanner and for the purpose herein described.

` STEPHEN WATERMAN. ISAAC D. RUSSELL. Witnesses to signature of S.Vaterman:

I-I. A. PEoK, TIMOTHY P. Buttons. 'Vitnesses tosignature of I. D.Russell GEOJB. SHERwooD, `LEWIS BENTE-N, f

